Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale - Moylan's Brewery

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks Don for bringing back from SD. Like a liquor. Sweet from the carmel and malt. Scotch up front and then carbonation kicks in with hoppy aftertaste that tingles the tongue. Bit of lace. WIne-like. Scotch colour and body, drinkable.
The name implies going wee-wee a lot from drinking so much of it, right?

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2005 03:48:38 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Coral-orange-bronze with bright orange accents. The pale caramel cap nearly exploded out of the glass on the pour. I seem to remember another Moylan's beer that I had a similar issue with due to gross overcarbonation. The brittle, unsticky head has fallen quickly and has left very little lace in its wake. A little bubble bath-like sudsiness is about it. Good color, bad head.

The nose rights the ship. The beer smells well-malted with plenty of dark, earthy aromas (as befits the style). It smells more like bourbon than it does like Scotch whisky, with elements of brown sugar, oak and even vanilla. Minimal peatiness, if it's there at all. No smoke that I could detect.

Kilt Lifter isn't much of a Scotch ale on the palate. Scottish? Sure, but it isn't big enough or flavorful enough to be a wee heavy. The malt backbone is osteoporotic for the style, while still managing to deliver a decent amount of caramel-toffee flavor. Although it's still mildly whisky-like, its sweetness forces comparisons to a Rusty Nail or a shot of Drambuie rather than a dram of single malt.

Remarkably, there's no hint of alcohol, even at 8.0%. Dark fruit (dried figs) begins to appear on the palate as the beer warms. KLSA absolutely cries out for more chewiness to give the wonderful flavors a chance to grab hold and soak into the taste buds in proper fashion.

Since I've already alluded to the body/mouthfeel several times, I'll skip any further description, except to say that it's Scottish ale appropriate and Scotch ale/wee heavy inappropriate. The active carbonation fits the mouthfeel. Fewer bubbles would have been perfect though.

How does one score a wee heavy that's tasty, but falls outside the lower bounds of the style? Oh the hell with it, this is good beer and I'll treat it as such. Kilt Lifter doesn't lift my kilt, but it is improving as I get deeper into the bomber. Perhaps I'll change into clean underwear just in case.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2005 21:25:06 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A gorgeous looking tan head that reached a height of around three inches came across the top and cascaded throughout the glass. This settled after a couple minutes and left behind an very nice pillow of tan foam that lasted well into the night. Great side glass lace as well, really quite the thick looking liquid here for sure.

The aroma was very sweet, with a big malt nose. Lots of earthy smells, grain, some raisin maybe and a touch of spice. Nice bit of caramel as well, with a woody sort of alcohol mixed in. This all translated over to the flavor, which also was very full and really just a very nice example of the style. Loads of sweetness in it, with candied sugar and caramel laced earthy malts making the big splash here. Very big body on this one as well, with really a tremendously smooth feeling to it. Nice carbonation that never really quit, and a long lasting sweet finish that was not overly dry but really left you looking for another sip. The alcohol was up there but was very well hidden, making this very drinkable, considering how strong it was.

Overall, I thought this was really an excellent beer, and one of the better I have had in the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2011 02:53:42 | More by mikesgroove

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes.

Poured into a snifter. The color is an amber-brown without any real head, lacing, or legs. Not much going on here. The nose is some caramel, dark fruits, and a bit of booze. The flavor doesn't really bring much other than a bit of malt and some alcohol. Booze on the palate and in the finish. Not my cup of tea.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2010 04:43:37 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Slightly hazed, dark amber body with a very thin, off-white head (they did generously fill my glass).

Smell: First, it's fruit, with esters delivering notes of dried cherry, golden raisins, and plums. Also, there's a mild scent of lightly grainy bread dunked in alcohol.

Taste: Without delay, without so much as a "hi", it's sweetish, bready, and fruity. A mouthful of fruitcake springs to mind. Lesser hints of steeped grain and a bite of caramel emerge. It's a continuous sweetish fruitiness until the drying finish punctuated briefly by a faint touch of bitterness and some lightly peppery alcohol hints.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Politely put, it's a fine, serviceable scotch ale that's more wee than heavy, leaving me wanting for a more hearty malt backbone. For the time being, I'll be reaching for a 90 Shelling instead.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2009 16:33:46 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

3.45/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a dark amber color with a modest head that doesn't retain particularly well, although it does manage to leave a few dots of lace

Smell: Nice caramel malt aromatics, with a nutty rather than peaty character

Taste: Opens with caramel and shortbread flavor, with a developing nutty aspect; after the swallow, the flavor profile becomes astringent as it is joined by a noticeable presence of alcohol

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation; considerable warmth in the gullet

Drinkability: While this beer has some nice aspects, it lacks the peat and full bodied mouthfeel of the top flight wee heavies and, in failing to disguise the alcohol, these flaws are accentuated

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2009 19:19:16 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle pour for New Brew Thursday's 3rd Anniversary event held at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach, CA.

Pours a murky orange-brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to a thin cap on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, and caramel aromas. Taste is much the same with a caramel flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is a decent American example of the style but nothing all that exciting.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 01:02:45 | More by UCLABrewN84

oberon

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I have enjoyed the Moylans bews I have had and this was no different but not earth shattering,poured a chill hazed amber/brown with a thinner off white head leaving spotty lace.Deep fruit aromas with some molasses and brown sugar almost like a Xmas fruit cake,not as full bodied as most Wee Heavy styles I have come across but it adds to its drinkability.Flavors are on the sweeter side with brown sugar and alcohol dipped dark fruit up front as it warms a little a light leafy hop presence is noticed but it is there only in token form and honestly for the style thats all it should be.A quaffing big Scottish style ale not bad not bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2006 03:18:05 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hazy amber with an orangish-brown tint, topped by a thin but creamy, very light golden-tan head that drops but leaves a good collar and some nice lace. I give them great credit for nailing the fruit and malt character of a true Scottish ale - very nice big fruit (some nice strawberry) with a caramelized maltiness. Medium body with a gentle carbonation lending to a supple, silky mouthfeel. The flavor is well balanced with a bitterness that is omni-present but never really emerges, clearly playing a supporting role to the malt. The maltiness is light and has a lightly burnt or caramelized sugar quality to it. My guess is that they're using mainly pale malt with a small dose of roasted barley that is caramelized in the kettle - rather than using British crystal - although there may be a small percentage. The peat smokiness is most apparent in the finish, but quite restrained amongst a somewhat sticky malt. It becomes much more apparent, however, as you move through the glass eventually leaving you with a light mouthfull of smoke. Very authentic. Not exactly what I would call a "Scotch Ale", but I won't quibble over the designation other than stating that I'd personally term it a 90 -/- ale. Quite nice. Extremely well balanced and very drinkable. I'd love to try this cask-conditioned.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2002 17:56:14 | More by NeroFiddled

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazed crimson hue, high carbonation, huge head. Dies down quickly.

Sweet, sweet sweetness in the nose. Big caramel apple. Toffee, cherries...candy and fruit. With a tickle of wine, too. Small bitterness.

Taste: Chewy malt, slick sweetness, again, it's mainly candied fruit. Fruit roll-ups, without the sour slap.
I'm not totally sure what I think of this one. It's sweet and malty, but lacking something.

But, you know what? More I drink it, the more I like it. Maybe it's the 8% abv, or maybe the butterscotch creeping in...tast-ee! mmm, hmmm! And here comes the booze. Yummy, yummers.

Good stuff.
Yeah.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2008 10:42:30 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a hazy amber color with a thick frothy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a nice malty scent that boasts of roasted and bisquit malts. It's is sweet and toastey with a breadlike aroma. The taste is decent. It has a wonderful toasted malt flavor that is breadlike and warm in the finish. It's not as malty as expected, but quite complex and full of flavor. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a good drinking beer. I prefer Scotch ales with a peated edge, but this has a mellow bisquity flavor that's easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2006 01:27:31 | More by WesWes

zeff80

Missouri

4.2/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a light copper color with a small, thin, fizzy, white head. It left some soapy trails of lace.

S - It smelled of caramel, raisin and mossy/earthy notes.

T - It tasted of rich cereal malt, spice and moss/peat. Very well balanced mix of flavors.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium to full-bodied beer.

D - This is a very nice scotch ale. I want to try mre beers from Moylan's.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2008 21:12:50 | More by zeff80

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.08/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz. bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer is a bright reddish brown color with a thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of caramel, roasted malts, vanilla and a touch of hops.

T: The taste is malty and smoky up front with sweet flavors of caramel, bourbon and vanilla, although not as heavy as most Scotch ales. There's a mild but complementary hops presence. The after-taste is sweet and slightly smoky.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down very easily, not too filling, good kick, very good representation of style, it's flavorful and since this beer isn't as thick as most in the style, it's a good one to drink for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2009 03:09:44 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This brew poured out as a nice clear dark amber color. With a slight tan head on it that stuck around for a while. The smell was earthy, not a lot of hops in this brew or anything, not that there should be for this style. The taste was smooth and with some good malt in the body of the beer. The mouthfe was on the heavier side but not thick. Overall its pretty good and totally worth another round.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2011 02:00:34 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.73/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours orange/caramel with 1 finger of semi-tan head into my Douglas Scotch Ale Thistle glass. Above average lacing & head retention

S Slight breadyness, & some biscuitty notes

T: Huge breadyness, some slight brown sugar, herbal hops & some tiny bits of smokeyness up front. Toasty malt comes through as this warms, plus dryness & much biscuitty malt quality. Finishes dry with caramel & a touch of butterscotch

MF: Medium bodied & bit more carbonated than the style asks; settles down once real warm

Drinks very easy, a bit dry; otherwise a nice Wee Heavy

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2008 05:09:47 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

3.35/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours a deep amber with a pillowy off-white head, leaving a lot of lace.

S: Definite caramel, peat, standard Scotch ale.

T: Has the traditional peaty strong malt flavour, but then gets real earthy mid-palate with hops. A good flavour, just too hoppy for the style.

M: Smooth, alcoholic as the style should be, medium/full body.

D: A good effort, this beer is well priced and is easily available, but it is definitely the Americanized version of Wee Heavy. You're not getting Belhaven here.

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2010 02:01:34 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: hazy brown in color with a short 1/2" head that falls quickly to a spotty surface foam.

Smell: malt and fruit sweetness is mild but pleasant.

Taste: malt sweetness, ripe fruits, brown sugar, a hint of earthiness, and a mild bitterness is wrapped in a soft alcohol tone.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Lightly crisp to start, smoother at the finish.

Drinkability: decent beer but it is a bit too sweet for me to have more than one bomber bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2010 22:31:54 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle:

Pours reddish amber with a thin tan head - trailing lace slides down glass without sticking. The thin cover eventually becomes a patch, then a ring.

The smell is of caramel, some peat, some fruity (raisiny) notes.

The taste is of a nice caramel/toffee maltiness with some peat and a hint of earthy bitterness keeping it balanced. Alcohol gives a kick without being sharp or masking. A caramelish sweetness finishes it off, with a whisky-ish dryness in the aftertaste.

Carbonation comes across a bit strong, especially in the first half. I was hoping that the body would pick up a bit more in the second half, which it does to a degreee, but never quite reaches the fullness that it could potentially have. The carbonation level is almost a double-edged sword, here, though. It does help it glide along, but seems to lower the fullness of it.

Don't know that it really reaches "wee heavy" status, despite the alcohol level, but comes close enough. A nice malt-accented brew though!

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2008 03:19:16 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a single at Princeton Liquors in Maple Grove, MN. Appeared a clear amber with a short off-white head. This was a pleasant beer for an unusually cool summer evening. The flavor and aroma are a mix of sweet apple juice with caramel and toffee candy. Drinkable for the style and slightly warming. All in all, a very good Wee Heavy. Not too dry, not too thick, and not too sweet - all my typical complaints with this style. Give ti a try.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2009 02:27:16 | More by tempest

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly fogged deep amber/brown. Nose is strong malts with a sweeter earthy edge to it. A lot of it smells like grape soda. Flavor is sweet yes. Has a nice earthy edge to it, but it lacks a real complexity that would make it interesting. Feel has a low carbonation to it and a slick liquid. Overall this is a good wee heavy, but not great by any means. It doesn't totally suck, but it won't blow you away either.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2008 04:39:44 | More by RblWthACoz

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.2/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a hazy reddish copper, then became clear with hardly any foam. The smell was of a sweet fruity nature, with a hint of malts. The taste was sweet creamy malt with fruit and had a sort of a nutty flavor. Its an average Scottish Ale. Pikes Kiltlifter is GREAT.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2008 21:59:04 | More by barleywinefiend

rhoadsrage

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

(Served in a dimple mug)
A- This beer pours an orange hazy body with a thick creamy fizzy head of light tan that soon fades to a ring. There is a gentle carbonation of tiny bubbles that glide to the surface.
S- There is a soft dry toasted biscuit malt aroma with some perfumed qualities to it that fade into a vegetable pickle aroma that is off putting with a slight salty note in the finish.
T- There is a soft dry toasted malt flavor that bends to the carbonic acid bite in the finish. There is a tartness that has a hint of apple and watermelon to it in the finish.
M- This beer has a medium-light mouthfeel with a scrubbing bubble carbonation that is a bite abrasive on the tongue.
D- This beer has a thin and soft flavor that is missing the nice rich malt backbone but the odd flavors get in the way of what little malt was there. It wasn't worth finishing the bomber.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2010 04:41:36 | More by rhoadsrage

Billolick

New York

3.45/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bomber bottle, without freshness indication, pours typical almond amber, slightly cloudy, with a slight tan head and not leaving much if any lacing. Minor malty nose. Smooth, malty brew, decent sessioner if this style is your thing. For me this style is dull and this version lives up to my preconcieved notions...fairly dull, well crafted and malty smooth, but dull. The best thing I can say for scotch ale is that it works well as a cooking or marinating liquid.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2006 00:35:28 | More by Billolick

Zorro

California

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear copper colored brew.

Smell is very malty with a touch of fruitiness and woodiness in the scent.

Taste is sweet and malty with a nice touch of peat and smoke in the flavor. Alcohol is noticeable but mixes in well. A damn good Scottish ale.

Mouthfeel is good.

A drinkable brew. This is mild in flavor for a Scotch ale but worth while.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2004 06:31:58 | More by Zorro

Bighuge

Minnesota

2.98/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Scarlet red hue. Slight haze. Thin beige head. Moderate amounts of lace. Nice malty nose. Has that "peaty" aroma with earthy and dank malt tones. Flavor is actually kind of weak for the style. Light bready malt tones. Some yeast sludge flavors. Slight hints of the 8% octane level. Not much else. Mouthfeel is a little lifeless. Not much CO2 or body to it. This is a disappointment from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2008 03:46:16 | More by Bighuge